A WOMAN who left other motorists terrified as she went on a drunken and dangerous drive along the A82 has been spared jail.

Sandra Blair wept in the dock as she was told it was only by good luck that her actions hadn't led to a tragedy on the busy trunk road.

Blair, 40, appeared in court for sentencing on Friday after pleading guilty to charges of driving drunkenly and dangerously on the A818 and A82 earlier this year.

Blair's journey started in Helensburgh, continued on the A82 through Dumbarton, and didn't stop until she reached a grass verge near the Dunglass roundabout in Bowling.

Sarah Healing, prosecuting, said Blair had driven into the back of another vehicle on Sinclair Street in Helensburgh not once but twice shortly before 4pm on September 27.

Ms Healing described how Blair drove into the back of the first witness's Renault Clio, reversed away, and then tried to drive round the vehicle – only to strike it for a second time.

Ms Healing then described how another woman, driving south on the A82 between the Stoneymollan and Lomondgate roundabouts, was signalling to pull into the inside lane after overtaking an articulated lorry.

"She was approached from behind by the accused's vehicle, which struck her at speed," Ms Healing told the court.

"The witness's vehicle was pushed into lane one, ahead of the HGV, whose driver was required to brake heavily to avoid a collision."

The witness pulled into a layby to calm herself down, but saw Blair driving away with her vehicle's bonnet up, completely covering the windscreen, weaving from lane to lane, prompting the witness to call the police.

Another witness, seeing something similar, also dialled 999.

Ms Healing continued: "Prior to reaching the Lomondgate roundabout, the accused brought her vehicle to a stop, got out and put the bonnet down before returning to her vehicle and driving off."

By this time police had received numerous calls from concerned motorists and were "actively searching" for Blair's vehicle, the court was told.

One police witness reported that the car's bonnet was once again up, completely covering the windscreen, as it travelled towards the Dunglass roundabout, straddling both lanes of the carriageway.

Police eventually caught up with Blair's car and signalled it to stop.

"It became apparent to the officers that the accused was intoxicated," Ms Healing added.

"She was slurring her words, swaying, and couldn't stand up without assistance."

After being cautioned and charged, Blair told police: "I'm sorry."

Blair's sentence was deferred until Friday to give social workers time to prepare a background report.

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Gail Campbell, defending, said Blair, of Fullers Gate in Clydebank, had an addiction to painkillers and had "no recollection" of the journey – and said she had been taken to hospital amid concerns that she may have taken a fatal overdose.

"Her first question to me," Ms Campbell said, "was 'am I going to jail for this?'."

Stating that Blair had been suspended from her job, Ms Campbell said her client had been given seven sleeping tablets earlier that day to "get her through" the September holiday weekend, when the incident happened.

"She remembers driving and taking alcohol," Ms Campbell added.

"The word repeatedly mentioned in the social work report is 'catastrophic' – and potentially this could indeed have been catastrophic.

"She undoubtedly traumatised other drivers. She has to live with that.

"It's fortunate that she can live with it, and fortunate that all the drivers who were involved came out unscathed."

Echoing the words in the social work report, Sheriff William Gallacher said: "Her driving forced the driver of another car into the path of an HGV. That could have caused an utter catastrophe.

Sheriff William Gallacher told Blair: "I found these charges hard to believe on reading them. It is almost harder to believe that you are not appearing in the High Court having caused the death of one or more other persons.

"It's simply good luck that you did not cause a tragedy involving many other people.

"But I'm conscious that there are others who depend upon you, and that it is not an imperative that I send you to prison."

Instead of a jail term, Blair was told to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work within nine months.

She will also be supervised by social workers for two years.

In addition Blair was banned from driving for 40 months and was told she must re-sit and pass the extended test before being allowed behind the wheel again.

"You will doubtless have thoughts about this for a long time," the sheriff added, "but under no circumstances can you get behind the wheel of a car in a condition anything like this ever again."